Drug Bust Yields 2 1/2 Pounds Of Marijuana

November 12, 2004|By LEE FOSTER; Courant Staff Writer

VERNON — When officers of the East Central Narcotics Task Force arrived at 32 Elm St. on Wednesday afternoon with five arrest warrants for Larico Garrett, they found him outside the building, apparently in the middle of a drug sale, police said.

Besides the 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana that Garrett was in the process of selling, he was carrying 11 bags of crack cocaine and additional marijuana, police said.

At the same time, task force officers, Vernon detectives and a local patrol officer with a warrant searched Garrett's apartment, where they allegedly found another pound of marijuana, a scale and plastic bags to package drugs.

Garrett, 26, was taken to headquarters and charged with six counts of sale of crack cocaine; six counts of possession of cocaine; seven counts of sale of marijuana; five counts of possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana; two counts of possessing more than 4 ounces of marijuana; three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia; interfering with a police officer; operating a drug factory; seven counts of sale of drugs within 1,500 feet of a school; and seven counts of possession of drugs within 1,500 feet of a school.

He was held on $1 million bail and will be presented todayat Superior Court in Rockville.

Police also had an arrest warrant for Larico's brother, Jeremiah Garrett, 22, so they called Jeremiah and told him to come to headquarters to bail out his brother. As Jeremiah Garrett approached the station, officers went out to the parking lot to meet him, but a woman leaving the building tipped him off and Garrett fled. Police were able to catch him about 100 yards from the door.

Jeremiah Garrett was charged with violating probation and interfering with a police officer. His bail was set at $75,000, and he was held for court today.

The woman, Denise Shedrick, 44, of 92 Prospect St., Apt. 1., had been charged earlier Wednesday with two counts of risk of injury to a minor and third-degree assault. She was released on bail. But after she tipped off Garrett, charges of hindering prosecution and interfering with an officer were added and she was held for court today on $10,000 bail.

Then police called Linda Rodrigues, Larico Garrett's girlfriend, and asked her to come to the station. When she arrived, Rodrigues, 32, of 1064 Main St., Newington, was arrested on a warrant for multiple counts of conspiracy to sell narcotics and marijuana, based on the investigation into Garrett's case.

Rodrigues was released on $100,000 bail and scheduled to return to court on Nov. 23.